Ultimate Online PHD Program Guide

Online PhD in Emergency Management

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An online PhD in emergency management prepares individuals by combining knowledge with hands-on skills, enabling them to handle the repercussions of any disaster. Students are able to develop proficiency in answering to and assisting crises, making them even more effective in times of despair as they will fully understand the steps that need to be taken in order to respond to high-impact emergencies. Students who have field experience will turn their attention to research practicums, studying better ways for them to perform prehospital medicine. Through various activities, students will cover such topics as preparation, response, and rescue. Some online doctorate degrees in emergency management have students pick an area of concentration that is constructed of classes from outside emergency management, thereby supplementing their education. From the program’s combination of research and application work, you will be in a position to be able to act as an administrator of emergency organizations or project consultant. The program generally takes two years to complete – however, this number can fluctuate depending upon the college or university you choose to attend.

About Online PhD Programs in Emergency Management

While your experience in an online PhD in emergency management program will differ from the experience of traditional students, you will acquire the same skill sets. Most of your learning will be conducted online, but all students will need to participate in hands-on activities during their studies. With emergency management doctorate degrees online, you will be able to further your training and education, allowing you to insert yourself into a leadership position immediately. The program strives to have its students assist in the development of prehospital medicine by conducting relevant research and broadcasting the results. In addition, these programs encourage students to be active in committees, group meetings, or assemblies that discuss how to develop effective leaders in emergency medical services and how to educate medical providers of all ranks. Looking at the classes you might take, North Dakota State University offers courses such as those listed below

Year One:

Emergency Management Theory . This course covers the general ideas of the theory and concepts regarding all major/common safety issues.

Advanced Research Methods . This course offers students a look at the previous management of critical events.

Spatial Analysis in Emergency Management . This course examines one of the more concrete ways individuals can prepare to handle an emergency situation – whether it be on a local or national stage.

Year Two:

Preparedness Theory and Practice . This course centers on being prepared for all levels of disasters, ensuring you are ready before any tragedy takes place.

Response Theory and Practice . This course deals with handling a stressful situation and the framework for how to take action.

Recovery Theory and Practice . Once you have prepared and responded – skills acquired from the previous courses – you will learn how to carry out a recovery mission.

For your dissertation, you will need to choose a topic that is relevant to your field of study and perform original research on an innovative subject matter. For some students, choosing the subject they end up exploring can take longer than the research they perform. The daunting task of choosing an untouched topic can present its challenges, but the most important thing to consider is ensuring that the subject you choose genuinely interests you. In an online PhD program in emergency management, a suitable topic could be something such as “Developing and Evaluating a Web-Based Emergency Management Spatial Decision Support System,” as completed by Dr. Naci Dilekli.

Value and Criticisms of a PhD in Emergency Management

An online PhD in emergency management can undoubtedly assist those looking to better serve their community. However, it opens doors to graduates to more than just one arena of protection. A benefit of any online doctorate in emergency management is that it gives you more than just the basic knowledge and practice of how to keep your cool in a pressure-packed situation – you learn how to minimize risk and maximize control through the program’s courses covering response to high-impact emergencies, the legal and regulatory aspects and actions that must take place before and after treatment, and the proper procedure and language needed when addressing the general public with any information. In terms of the disadvantages of an online emergency management PhD, you will need to have the time available to earn your degree. Spending years of your life furthering your education in this subject matter may only be truly valuable for those who want to teach the topic in college or for a safety-minded corporation as the majority of this degree’s benefits do not reach those outside of the realm of education. The financial demands of any PhD program are important to consider – particularly if your degree does not serve you any immediate or subsequent advantage in your career.

Application & Admission Requirements

Depending upon the college or university you attend, there may be some differences in terms of the requirements you must meet before being admitted. Earning an online emergency management PhD requires students to have the prior experience and education needed to fully understand all that will be addressed in this program. You will be asked to present your score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), an official transcript, and three letters of recommendation. There are some institutions that mandate you possess a minimum number of years of professional experience before you are eligible to be accepted, while other schools such as George Washington University only ask that you provide summary of your past experience in emergency services, if any. Keep in mind that by just meeting the minimum requirements will not ensure your acceptance. Schools are limited in the number of students they are able to bring in to an online PhD emergency management program, and those picked are generally individuals that exceeded all minimal prerequisites.

Career Options & Job Market

Students who earn an online doctorate degree in emergency management acquire the communication and management skills that can be applied within an abundance of industries, giving graduates multiple careers to choose from – criminal investigator, management analyst, and a federal agent to name a few. In the case of criminal investigators, these individuals work to protect public safety by detaining people that are taking part in criminal behavior. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of private detectives and investigators is expected to grow 22 percent over the 2008–18 decade, which is significantly faster than the average for all occupations. In the case of other emergency management careers, the job market appears strong, as well as lucrative. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual wage of management analysts in May 2008 was $73,570. Graduates of online doctorate programs in emergency management can be sure that no matter which profession they choose to pursue, they will be offering protection those in their community.

FEMA The federal emergency management agency supports our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. This website will offer you information on how to better serve your community.

Capella University This link will offer you an in-depth look at this degree program offered by Capella University.

How to Get Funding

In terms of financial aid, students have more than one option available to them, including loans, scholarships, and even PhD fellowship programs. For those who are veterans, additional benefits may be available. In order to receive any form of federal aid, you must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online – be sure to have your school’s numerical code ready. Following this step, you will need to complete the GSM Application for Federal Financial Aid. As the application process for any PhD program can be time-consuming, it would be wise to first check to see if you qualify for financial aid before taking any action – this information can be found under the requirements listed for each on their official websites. Online PhD programs in emergency management become much more manageable when a student has the financial assistance they need in order to cover their education.

Federal Direct Stafford Loan. With this loan program, students can earn low-interest loans as they pursue their PhD. The maximum loan available is $20,500 per academic year, and there is a fixed interest rate of 6.80%.

Federal Perkins Loan. For those full-time students in the most need for financial aid, the Federal Perkins low-interest loan can be awarded, offering an average of $3,500 per academic year – with a fixed interest rate at 5.0%.

Campus-Based Aid. In the case of each campus-based program, all are handled by the financial aid office of a college or university. It is important to note that all schools actively participate in the programs made available by the federal government.

Essential Advice

Take your time – You may feel that jumping into a PhD program would be a smart move after earning your bachelor’s, however an online PhD emergency management program can be a large challenge to immediately take on. With the general purpose of a PhD being to assist you in improving on your weaknesses, you must first be able to understand what those flaws may be. A way of recognizing this is through some amount of work experience. Try and put your newly acquired skills into action before looking obtain more.

Staying within your budget – Online doctoral programs in emergency management can obviously be of assistance in your future career aspirations, however the advantages you can acquire come at a price. While there are multiple individuals who are ready and willing to put in the time and effort to complete a PhD program, they may not have the funding they need to pursue this prestigious degree. Ensuring you are eligible for some form of financial aid is important and needs to be addressed prior to going forward.

Is this for you – After looking into online PhD programs, try to dig deeper and uncover whether or not this would be beneficial for you. Try and communicate with individuals who are currently enrolled in online doctoral programs in emergency management to discover if this degree program will offer you the knowledge and skills you are looking to acquire.